T&C's Vacation Crash Course For Kids

Before your next family vacation (whether it's to Paris, New England, or on a safari), here are the best books to read and movies to watch with the kids. The little ones will fall in love with your vacation destination before they've even set foot on the plane.

Paris: The Red Balloon

Paris: The Red Balloon

There's no shortage of child-friendly material situated in the City of Lights, but of all the choices available, The Red Balloon is perhaps the most enchanting, even though it was released nearly 60 years ago. You might remember this 34-minute gem from your own childhood, but introduce your children to its fanciful storytelling prior to your Parisian getaway—they might just skip down the boulevards with as much unbridled wonder as the movie's protagonist does.

Salzburg: Sound of Music

Salzburg: Sound of Music

What childhood excursion to Austria (and what childhood as a whole, for that matter) would be complete without a viewing of Rodgers and Hammerstein's iconic musical? Screen the film for your kids to see Maria galloping through the fields of flowers at the base of Salzburg's snow-capped mountains, but do so at your own risk—you may regret it when the little ones can't stop singing Do-Re-Mi on the plane.